do-nothing
1 of 2noun
do-noth·ing ˈdü-ˌnə-thiŋ 
: a shiftless or lazy person
do-nothing
2 of 2adjective
: marked by inactivity or failure to make positive progress
do-nothingism
ˈdü-ˌnə-thiŋ-ˌi-zəm
noun 
Synonyms
Noun
- couch potato
- deadbeat
- drone
- idler
- layabout
- lazybones
- loafer
- lotus-eater
- slouch
- slug
- slugabed
- sluggard
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1579, in the meaning defined above
Adjective
1832, in the meaning defined above
do-nothing
noun
1
as in slug
a lazy person the new boss quickly figured out who the do-nothings were and fired them Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- slug
- deadbeat
- snail
- layabout
- idler
- loafer
- drone
- sluggard
- slouch
- lazybones
- delayer
- bum
- slugabed
- couch potato
- lotus-eater
- good-for-nothing
- laggard
- shirker
- lingerer
- slowpoke
- dawdler
- goldbrick
- straggler
- crawler
- loiterer
- creeper
- stick-in-the-mud
- putterer
- loller
- procrastinator
- slacker
- saunterer
- dallier
- clock-watcher
- malingerer
- ne'er-do-well
- quitter
- lounger
- dropout
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- doer
- hustler
- hummer
- achiever
- go-getter
- comer
- powerhouse
- highflyer
- highflier
- live wire
- self-starter
- go-ahead
2
as in bum
an idle worthless person he indiscriminately dismisses the state legislators as a bunch of do-nothings who live at the taxpayers' expense Synonyms & Similar Words
- bum
- hobo
- beggar
- derelict
- good-for-nothing
- no-account
- dodger
- slacker
- no-goodnik
- vagrant
- no-good
- transient
- tramp
- shirker
- ne'er-do-well
- drifter
- vagabond
- goldbrick
- idler
- panhandler
- loafer
- sluggard
- lazybones
- slouch
- sundowner
- waif
- pauper
- roamer
- indigent
- ragamuffin
- slug
- urchin
- down-and-outer
- drone
- down-and-out
- gamine
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- success
- winner